Favela on Blast

On July 20th the film will be available digitally and on DVD through Mad Decent.

Favela On Blast - Official Trailer from Mad Decent on Vimeo.

Favela on Blast, the directorial film debut from Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, Diplo, and his partner Leandro HBL, documents a vibrant and innovative musical subculture that has emerged in Brazil's impoverished slums, known as favelas. Well beneath the radar of mainstream society for the last 20 years, they have their own language, style and heroes. Their music and culture have gone mostly unnoticed outside of South America until now. Favela on Blast captures the rarely seen stories of MC's, DJ's, dancers, and cultural producers through the eyes of Diplo and Brazilian filmmaker Leandro HBL, with memorable appearances from funk superstars Deize, Tigrona, Mr. Catra, and Duda Do Borell.

Favela on Blast documents the culture surrounding "Funk Carioca," a musical rhythm that mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980's with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. It is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world and it comes from one of the most violent and poorest places too: the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Bombastic rhythms coming from the Miami Bass and loops and samples are united to powerful rap vocals using Brazilian slang. This music is designed to be listened to as loud as possible and with high bass pumping through the tropical nights of Rio. The heroes are the creators- the musicians. Their pace is set between colossal street parties; propped with rudimentary sound-systems, warring drug factions, and an eerily tense city where the Police and societies elite have the upper hand until it comes to their musical culture, always Brazil's heart and nation's identity.

An Official Selection of SXSW Film Festival 2009, Favela on Blast was not an easy feat to be conquered. Little funding, unfamiliar territories, and broken translations proved to be harsh obstacles for Diplo and Leandro. However, to show the world the music that has helped acts such as Diplo, Bonde de Role, and a heap of Mad Decent artists rise to international prominence was worth the trouble.